US used upto 20% of its THAAD missiles worth $ 1 billion to defend Israel for 12 days: Report

The THAAD deployment to Israel came with challenges as supporting allies in conflict zones would mean using resources that could affect military readiness and future deployment.

In an extravagant display of defence spending, the United States used approximately 15-20 per cent of its global stock of THAAD missiles during Israel’s conflict with Iran that lasted 12 days, reported Military Watch Magazine.

The THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defence) system is designed to shoot down medium- and long-range ballistic missiles before they reach their targets.

An estimate of 60-80 interceptors were utilised during the conflict. A single launch of a THAAD interceptor costs between $12-15 million, so the entire cost of these interceptors sits between $810 million to $1.215 billion. This figure dwarfs the cost of Iran's missile barrages. This asymmetric cost of defence versus offence is not sustainable in the long term or multi-front conflicts.

Iran had launched a barrage of missiles on cities across Israel in response to attacks on its nuclear and military facilities. They included models such as Ghadr, Emad, Kheibar Shekan, and the Fattah-1 hypersonic missile, which is hard to intercept as it travels at up to Mach 15.

The THAAD deployment to Israel came with challenges as supporting allies in conflict zones would mean using resources that could affect military readiness and future deployment.

In an interesting observation, the magazine noted that the United States manufactures only 50-60 THAAD interceptors annually, meaning that it would take the country a year to produce what it lost in just 11 days. Another concern is that if future conflicts involve more advanced missiles or last longer, THAAD might struggle to keep up. This raises serious questions about whether the system is sustainable or cost-effective in the long run.

The war between Israel and Iran came to an end after US President Donald Trump announced that a "complete and total ceasefire" had been reached by both the parties. In the end, the US-Israel campaign has managed to contain, not defeat, Iran. Nuclear sites were hit. Military leadership was shaken. But Iran's regime, and its nuclear ambition, remain intact.

What makes THAAD so accurate is the radar system that supplies its targeting information. The radar system, which can deployed with the missile battery or already be in place on US Navy ships or at other installations, can detect missiles in two ways. In its forward-based mode it is configured to acquire and track targets at ranges of up to 3,000 kilometers (1,865 miles), and in its terminal mode it is aimed upward to acquire targets during their descent, according to the Missile Defense Project. Iran is about 1,700 kilometers (1,100 miles from Israel.)